A mobile tower was installed Saturday in Kondapalli, a remote village in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, enabling access to banking, Aadhaar, ration, health schemes, pensions and educational services for local residents. The district is among the worst Maoist-affected regions in the country.
Villagers previously had to travel long distances to access banking services due to the lack of mobile connectivity. This affected the delivery of benefits under schemes such as the Mahatari Vandan Yojna, under which every married woman receives Rs 1,000 per month, and other Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes, including those linked to tendu patta trade and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), officials said.
“The mobile tower will enable villagers to avail online banking services to withdraw cash using mini-ATM services provided by the government in remote villages in Bastar. The network will not only help the village but also those villages in a 5 km radius,” said a government official.
Kondapalli is located in a dense forest zone along the Telangana–Chhattisgarh border and has for long lacked access to roads, electricity and drinking water.
Referring to the installation of the tower, a government official said: “The moment the tower’s activation was announced, a wave of excitement swept through the villagers. Women, men and children all marched in a rally to the tower site. Traditional rituals were performed to consecrate the tower. To the beat of the ‘mandar’ drum, people danced with emotion. The scene was nothing short of a festival”.
Out of the 578 inhabited villages, spread across 6,500 sq km in Bijapur, 283 villages (49%) are yet to get mobile connectivity.
Extending mobile connectivity remains difficult in Bijapur, which is a core Maoist zone. Of the 463 Maoists killed since 2024 in the seven-district Bastar region, 219 (47%) were killed in Bijapur alone. Since 2022, Maoists have set fire to eight mobile towers, including six since 2024.
After a police camp was established in December 2024, the administration has been able to reach Kondapalli on a regular basis. The long-defunct road to the village is being reconstructed by the Border Roads Organisation, with work currently underway on a 50-km stretch.
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Electricity reached Kondapalli for the first time two months ago. The village is also being covered under the Niyad Nalla Naar scheme, which aims to deliver basic services in sensitive regions. “This is not merely the beginning of communication, but the dawn of an era of trust, transformation and new possibilities,” said Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
Kondapalli is located in a dense forest zone along the Telangana–Chhattisgarh border and has for long lacked access to roads, electricity and drinking water.
